LODI - Hobie Schultz saw his Lodi baseball team play six solid innings with Elk Grove-Franklin on Monday at Tony Zupo Field.

But the Flames coach was disappointed how the visiting Wildcats took advantage of two of late Lodi errors for insurance runs for a 6-3 nonleague win.

Flames pitcher Zach Kramer scattered nine hits and gave up four earned runs, while his defense helped him strand seven Franklin runners on base. Lodi catcher Levi Shandrew also threw out a runner in the top of the fifth inning to help keep the game tied 3-3 going into the final frames.

"We competed well and were swinging the bat better compared to previous games," Schultz said. "(Kramer) was solid (on the mound) as he is every time. Levi's been outstanding behind the plate throwing out runners and blocking balls. I wanted to see us get better as we get ready to start league and we did."

Hank LoForte's red-hot bat paced the Wildcats (3-3) as he went 4 for 4 and kept the pressure on Lodi (5-4) with three stolen bases.

"(LoForte's) a sophomore but plays like a senior," Franklin coach Bryan Kilby said. "He's a catalyst and when he gets going, we seem to get going as a team. Lodi is a very good team - it helps us to prepare for our league and possibly the playoffs when we can win close games."

LoForte got Franklin on the board in the top of the third on Tyler Blake's double and Jacob Buckhalter's two-out single.

But Lodi answered with three runs in the bottom of the third sparked by consecutive singles by Anthony Piombo, Brett Young and David Simon. After stealing second base, Simon scored the tying run on Grant Henecke's single.

Piombo finished 2 for 4 with a run and a stolen base, and Buckhalter went 2 for 4 with two stolen bases, an RBI and a run in the loss.

But Franklin snapped the tie in the sixth on LoForte's RBI single and scored two runs in the seventh with the aid of two Lodi throwing errors.

Franklin's Trent Spallas, the football team's starting quarterback last season, came on in relief in the top of the fifth to earn the victory.